1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and a device for determining faulty components in a system, e.g., as it is required in an error diagnosis for a motor vehicle by a service facility.
2. Description of Related Art
In complex systems, which are made up of many components or devices as in the case of current motor vehicles, for example, the error search in the event of operating malfunctions, e.g., in a breakdown or during servicing to be carried out at regular intervals, takes place at the service station, usually by diagnostic systems. To this end, sensor data or historical information of the driving operation are read out and evaluated. For example, if a defect has occurred, then the most likely error cause, e.g., the malfunction of a specific component or device in the vehicle, is determined on the basis of the read-out data. Score tables, for instance, are used for this purpose, or the read-out vehicle data are compared with defect or error scenarios that are based on functional models of the vehicle or the interplay of its components. Additional diagnosis options are known for determining the components causing the particular malfunction. However, the various diagnosis methods utilized do not always determine the defective unit in the vehicle or system correctly. It is therefore desirable to provide the most reliable determination method possible for ascertaining the causes of malfunctions in systems having a plurality of parts or components.